Device for sealing bottles or jars.



PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.

E. D. SGHMITT. DEVICE FOR SEALING BOTTLES 0R JARS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1 5, 1902. RENEWED MAY 20. 1903.

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No. 747,833.- PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.

B. D. SGHMITT.

DEVICE FOR SEALING BOTTLES 0R JARS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1902. nnnnwnn MAY 20. 1903. no MODEL.

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Patented December 15, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD D. SOHMITT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

DEVICE FOR SEALING BOTTLES OR JARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,333, dated. December 1903- Application filed January 15, 1902. Renewed May 20, 1903 Serial No. 157,959. (No model.)

T0 or) whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. SCHMITT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Sealing Bottles or Jars; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the-same,

reference being had to the accompanying destroyed in unsealing the bottle or jar, but

which can be used over and over again, producing at each use a perfect seal. Considerations of cheapness and durability have had attention inproviding the present seal.

With the above-mentioned and other objects in View, which will become apparent further along, I provide the sealing means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a jar formed and sealed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central section of a 'jar with the seal applied, the parts being in the position they occupy just before the seal is effected. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the seal in place and locked. Fig. 4 illustrates by plan views the lockingarms, showing clearly the formation that adapts them to be locked together. Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a modified form of locking device, and Fig. 6 shows still another form of looking device. Fig. 7 shows the seal applied to a bottle.

For the purpose of illustration merely I prefer to show the seal as applied to a jar, and in the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a jar formed with a preferably inclined lockingshoulder 2, which forms the upper part of an annular groove 3, having inclined side walls at, terminating at the bottom in an approximately square sealing-seat or shoulder 5. This groove, formed as shown in the principal figures, takes on more the appearance of a chamber when formed in a comparatively contracted neck of a-bottle, as shown in Fig. 7, but the formation only difiers in proportion. In carrying out my invention after forming the neck of the jar or bottle as shown, or sub; stantially so, I employ a hollow, preferably metallic, cup shaped securing member 6, slightly reduced in diameter at its bottom to provide an annular seat 7 for a gasket 7 or ring, of rubber or cork or other suitable material, for a sealing means which is adapted to make sealing contact with the lower shoulder when the seal is in place. The bottom of the securing member serves'to limit the downward movement of the locking means, as will be presently more fully described.

Oppositely-disposed openings 8 are provided in the securing member for the passage of the bent ends 9 of the locking-arms 10 and 10', which have their other ends so formed that the two arms can be locked together, detachably so, however-that is to say, a slot 11 is provided in one arm and'the other is provided with a head 12 wider than the width of the slot 11, but not wider than its length,

thus permitting the head to pass through the slot when the parts are held properly in assemblingthem. Thenaftertheheadis passed through the slot in arm 10 the arm 10 is turned to bring the two arms to the position shown in the drawings. These arms are preferably formed with inclined gripping-pieces 13, adapted to be gripped between the thumb and forefinger to lift both arms together and unseal the receptacle. The locking-arms have sufficient movement up and down to accomplish the seal, as will presently be described, but preferably have not so much movement as will separate them from the securing member when the bottle is unsealed that is to say, the bent ends will not corneal-l the way out of the openings 8 in the-securing member, so that the whole seal will come out of the jar or bottle together.

The seal is efiected in this way: The whole is placed in the neck of the bottle or mouth of the jar, with all of the movable parts in the position shown in Fig. 2that is, with the locking-armsincliningupwardly. Whenthe sealing device is in place, a downward pressure on the arms, preferably and most advantageously applied to the gripping-pieces 13, will bring the bent ends 4 into engagement with the upper shoulder in the neck, and the farther the arms are pressed the greater will be the pressure put upon the securing member and at points where the arms rest immediately above the sealing-seat and where said pressure is most required to make an air-tight seal. In the sealing operation the line of the greatest lateral resistance is approximately parallel with the arms when they are in horizontal position, and the greatest pressure applied to securing and sealing members occurs at a point just before the arms reach the approximate horizontal position. A further downward movement of the arms will bring that portion thereof where the gripping-pieces are formed below the line of greatest lateral resistance, after passing which and engaging the bottom of the securing member the seal is locked. It will of course be understood that the material or stock of which the locking-arms are made will be sulficiently resilient to permit of the operation just described, and this property of the material, together with the fact that the arms have no lateral movement upon each other, will make the operation clear.

To unseal the bottle or jar, it is only necessary to grip the pieces 13 and exert a pull on the arms. The seal will resist this influence until the arms pass the line of greatest lateral resistance, when there will obviously be a tendency for the arms to fly up, and a further pull will simply lift the whole seal out.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the locking device is formed in one piece, and in that form shown in Fig. 5 I preferably provide the arm with an opening a, in which can be inserted any sort of pointed or hooked instrument to remove it and unseal the bottle. In the form illustrated in Fig. 6 a loop or eye h presents itself to be conveniently gripped to remove the seal. In both of these forms of locking device their medial portion forms a slight bow above the point of greatest lateral resistance in the sealing operation and rests upon the bottom of the securing member when the jar or bottle is sealed.

In my preferred form I have shown the gripping-pieces of such length that they will come below the upper edge of thejar when in final sealing position, and this is done to permit the receptacles to be more comfortably packed than would be possible with the ends extended above the jar mouth, and while I have preferred to show the seal more in its adaptability to a jar it is obvious that it is equally adapted for use upon bottles or receptacles having comparatively small mouths, and the change would be simply one of proportion.

I claim 1. In a sealing device, the combination with a bottle or jar having a sealing-seat in the neck thereof and a shoulder above said seat, of a securing member, a sealing member, a locking member adapted to engage the upper shoulder and bear on the securing member to firmly seat the same upon the sealing-seat, when the locking member passes in its downward movement, the line of its greatest lateral resistance, substantially as described.

2. In a sealing device, the combination with a bottle or jar having a sealing-seat in the neck thereof and a locking shoulder above said sealing-seat, a securing member, a sealing member, a locking member formed by two arms having their outer ends adapted to engage the upper shoulder, and their inner ends locked together against sliding movement on each other, said locking member being adapted to bear on the securing member and firmly seat the same upon the sealing-seat, when the arms pass in their downward movement the line of greatest lateral resistance, substantially as described.

3. In asealing device, the combination with a bottle or jar formed with a sealing-seat in the neck thereof and a shoulder above said seat, a securing member, a sealing member, a locking member formed of two resilient arms having bent outer ends adapted to engage the upper shoulder and the inner ends locked together against sliding movement upon each other, saidlocking member being adapted to bear upon the securing member and seat the same firmly upon the lower shoulder or sealing seat when the arms pass in their downward locking movement, the line of greatest lateral resistance, and means for arresting the downward movement of the arms at a point below said line of resistance.

4. In asealing device, the combination with a bottle or jar formed with a sealing-seat in the neck thereof and a locking-shoulder above said seat, a cup-shaped securing'member carryingagasketorsealing member and provided with oppositely-disposed openings, a locking member consisting of two slightly-resilient arms having bent ends extending through the openings in the securing member and adapted to engage the upper shoulder, when a seal is made, and having their other ends locked together against sliding movement upon each other, said locking member being adapted to bear upon the securing member and firmly seat the same on the lower shoulder or sealing-seat, when the arms in their downward locking movement pass the line of greatest lateral resistance and rest upon the bottom of the securing member, substantially as described.

5. In a sealing device the combination with a bottle or jar formed with a sealing-seat in the neck thereof and a locking-shoulder above said seat, a cup-shaped securing member carrying a gasket or sealing member and provided with oppositely-disposed openings, a locking member consisting of two slightly-resilient arms having bent ends extending through the openings in the securing member and adapted to engage the upper shoulder when a seal is made, and having their other ends locked together for the purpose set forth, and bent to form gripping-pieces,

said locking member being adapted to bear upon the securing member and firmly seat the same on the lower shoulder. or sealingseat, when the arms in their downward looking movement pass the line of their greatest lateral resistance and rest upon the bottom of the securing member, substantially as described.

6. In a sealing device, the combination with 

